The voice on the other end of the phone asked:“How did 9/11 change you, your church, your community.”My response became more nuanced as we spoke, but my first response was immediate.
Fear.
9/11 made us afraid.
Afraid of Muslims.
Afraid of immigrants.
Afraid of each other.
And, for 15 years politicians and marketers and “news outlets” have played on and amplified that fear.

But, counter to that fear are two words from the Bible which resonate with me.
Fear not.
Which means, at least, in part…
Hold onto goodness.
Hold onto grace.
Hold onto awe.
Hold onto hope.
Hold onto each other.
Yes. The world can be a scary place.
Yes. Bad things can and do happen.
Yes. People do awful things to each other.
But, if we are afraid all the time…